White Horse
by ElizaV
Summary: Marie is going to marry Bobby. Can Logan make her realize how much he cares before the wedding?
1. And it's too late for you

**Disclaimer**: I don't own X-Men.

**Author's Note**: This is set in a world were pretty much all the events of X-2 and X-3 didn't happen. Scott, Jean, and Xavier are still alive, John is still with the X-Men, and Rogue learned to control her powers instead of taking the cure. Inspired by "White Horse by Taylor Swift (which I don't own).

I took off shortly after they announced their engagement 5 months ago. I couldn't stand to look at how the ring hung so awkwardly on her hand. I couldn't stand to see how she looked like a wild mustang who had been broken and tamed. The freedom becoming broken and hidden behind the need to conform in order to survive. I knew I couldn't watch her like this anymore and instead of doing something productive, try to bring her to reason and remind her of who she was, I did the thing which comes naturally to me, I ran.

I headed North at first, but the further I went, the more I was reminded of her. I thought of heading south, and I did, until I reached the border of Mississippi; I couldn't even cross into it. So I headed west. Surely I wouldn't find any memories of here there I thought. But I saw the color of her skin in the light shades of the desert, the color of her favorite gloves in the prairies, and every body of water I came near somehow tried to take on the scent of the Mississippi riverbanks. So I headed back. It would be better to suffer because I was near her than to suffer with just her memory.

I arrived around noon on a Saturday. The garden had chairs set up, no doubt for the wedding. I had hoped to arrive sooner, but one thing after another slowed me down. Xavier had found me and told me when the wedding was.

I walked into the mansion, sniffing around trying to find Marie. She was in one of the 1st story rooms with a view of the garden from the open window. She was alone in the room. I leaned against the doorframe in order to take it all in before beginning to speak.

She looked unbelievable in her white and black dress. I would say she looked perfect, but she didn't. Her eyes looked far off underneath the light tints of eye shadow. Her face was fixed, and almost sorrowful underneath the light layer of makeup. And the perfect way her hair was swept up was made imperfect because it was missing the white streaks which had become as much a part of her as her Southern drawl and the way she smelled of the riverbanks. She wore long white gloves which covered almost all of her arms and she wore some designer perfume which his family must have bought for her and lied to her about the price, because she never would have spent so much on something that wasn't really her. And nothing could match the way she smelled to me when nothing else was clouding her natural scent.

She breathed in and let out a sigh. My legs took it as a cue to move towards her. She turned around when I was two feet from her.

"Logan, you came." She told me as she closed the distance between us.

"Of course." I told her as I held her in my arms, like I always did when I returned. "I had to see you. I need to talk to you."

"Okay, what about?"

"Marie, please listen to me. Hear me out. I don't think you should marry the Drake kid." She opened her mouth to speak but I put a finger to her lips to silence her. "I don't think he will truly make you happy. He may be a great guy and all, but he isn't your kind of guy. You two are different and it won't work out. He'll want that all-American dream family and you won't. You're not the type to be tied down. You're the type to live your life and take things one day at a time and no other way. It's what made you leave home without a plan and end up 1,000 miles away from home. I don't think the soccer mom life is for you. But if you want white picket fences, a minivan, and the suburban life, then go ahead and marry him. But the girl, the woman I knew, that wasn't her. If something has changed and I'm completely wrong, then I'm sorry. But I'm pretty sure I'm not." I'm apologizing and doubting myself in the same sentence? I can't believe how she does this to me. "I can see it in your eyes Marie, you're dying inside." I spent every mile home thinking about what to tell her, how to convince her not to marry him, but even then the words didn't seem just right.

"You wait until my wedding day to tell me all this? You find out I'm engaged and you run and don't even call me. Then you show up an hour before I'm ta' get married and tell me 'don't do it'. You can't just tell me what I think and feel. You think I've not thought about it? You think I don't know my own feelings?"

"I couldn't just let you marry him without knowing this is what you wanted."

"He loves me. He loved me when I was untouchable Rogue and has stayed with me. He's the only man who ever loved me."

"No he's not."

"Oh really? Then let me meet this man. Let him get to know me and we'll see how much he loves me then."

"You've met him. He knows you. And he loves you."

"Well it's too late for him to come around." Marie told me. Here eyes filled with tears at the same time my heart broke. Before her tears could fall I found a tissue to keep them from falling on her face.

"No need to mess up your make up. I'm sorry." There I go again.

"It's okay. You just care about me." I heard someone clear their throat and looked around to see Scott.

"It's time for us to go." Scott told her.

"Right." She said as she turned to walk out. "Logan," she said turning back to me. "will you stay? I would really like to have my best friend here."

"Sure kid." I told her, smiling to keep myself from crying.

"Go on. I'll be there in a second." Scott told her. When she left the room he walked over to me.

"There's a suit in your closet upstairs. You have enough time to change if you want."

"Thanks Scooter."

"Look Logan, you may not like me, but I agree with you. He doesn't make her happy like you do. And even though I'm not the biggest fan of your age difference, or you in general, she would be happier with you."

"But she doesn't feel the same."

"How do you know?"

"She's never told me."

"Because apparently it was her job to tell you all about her feelings while you said nothing about yours."

"You're really starting to get on my nerves."

"I'm only trying to help." He told me as he walked out of the doorway. Maybe he was right. I thought she knew. I thought she was just going to let Drake down easy when we could actually be together. She turned 18 and I kept impatiently waiting. But the day never came where she knocked on my door and told me Bobby was no longer her boyfriend. The day they announced their engagement, I just accepted that she didn't love me like I did her. I could tell she wasn't completely happy, but she was happier then when I first met her, so I let it go for a while. When I left, I didn't know if I was truly leaving because I didn't want to see her unhappy, or if I couldn't stand to know she was happy and with him.

Maybe Scooter is right. And I'm going to find out or make a complete fool of myself. I run out the door to find them before she starts to walk out of the building. The music is playing outside and Jubilee, Kitty, John, and some other kid have already walked out. The only ones left are Scott and Marie.

Scott backed away slightly and smiled at me. Marie still hadn't noticed I'm so close. I grabbed one of her arms and spun her around, her back facing the door.

"_I_ love you, Marie." And she started to cry.

"I love you too, Logan." She said in a whisper.

"Well, I'm going to leave you too alone while I go make the announcement." Scott said as he walked out the door. The music stopped and everything seemed to disappear but Marie.

"I'm sorry I'm so thick headed and didn't realize you didn't know. But everything I did, I did because of you. You made me stay in a mansion with a bunch of little kids, Scott, rules, and did I mention Scott." She laughed.

"He really isn't that bad of a guy."

"Maybe not." She didn't make the move to run one way or the other. "If you still want to get married, if he will make you happier than I ever could, then go ahead. I'll give you two your space."

"I still want to get married." She said and my heart broke, no shattered.

"Oh." I said and turned away defeated.

"You dumb lug. I didn't say I wanted to get married to him." I could hear the smile in her voice. I turned back around wondering what she could be talking about.

"One day. I want to get married. But not to Bobby, to you whenever you are ready."

The Wolverine, settle down. Ha! Despite how hard the idea of marriage is for me to digest, the idea of leaving Marie is even harder.

"One step at a time, darlin'. I can't rescue the damsel in distress and marry her the same day." She laughed and everything about her changed. She looked beautiful.

"About the hair…" I missed that streak. The fact that it was on her and she was still alive meant she was mine. I saved her. In some cultures, that would technically make her mine.

"It will wash out. Jubilee and Mrs. Drake decided to try it out."

"Good. I like the streaks."

"I know you do. Is it okay if we get out of here for a little while?" She said as she smiled shyly.

"But I just got back." I told her through laughter.

"But Logan, if I'm going to leave a guy at the alter, I need to actually leave." She said.

"Alright darlin'." I told her as I kissed her forehead. She turned around from me and walked over to wear a mirror is set up with a stool in front of it. She took off the engagement ring and her gloves. She neatly placed the gloves on the stool, and placed the ring on top of it. It would look beautiful to everyone but Drake. It looked glorious to me.

"Aren't you going to tell him?" I asked her.

"I think he knows. And what he doesn't, Scott will explain to him." She said as she grabbed my hand.

"What about the dress?"

"I like the dress. I think I'll keep it. I paid for it and it is named after me, Anne Marie." We left the room and went back to hers. She changed into comfortable clothes, washed out the dye in her hair, and placed the dress in some bag that is supposed to preserve it. Before we left, she put the dress in the empty closet in my room.

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2 years later:

She stands before me wearing the same dress once again. But this time she looks perfect with the excitement in her eyes, white streaks in her hair, arms bare, and my ring on her finger. I feel odd in this black tux, but she wanted to wear the dress.

This time Scott takes his place as my best man, with Jean as Marie's maid of honor. She reconciled with her parents two years ago, a couple days after we left the mansion. Her Dad is here to give to me my Marie.


	2. and your white horse to come around

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the X-Men.

**Author's Note:** This is set in a world were pretty much all the events of X-2 and X-3 didn't happen. Scott, Jean, and Xavier are still alive, John is still with the X-Men, and Rogue learned to control her powers instead of taking the cure. Inspired by "White Horse by Taylor Swift (which I don't own). This is roughly the last chapter from Marie's point of view, with some added information.

---

I had finally resolved not to be alone. I had felt alone for what seems like the vast majority of my life thus far, and I didn't intend on becoming a spinster.

Bobby had been so good to me and I loved him in some way, so when he asked me to marry him, I said yes. He may not be my "knight in shining armor" or the person I couldn't imagine my life without, but he was kind and seemed to love me in a way I wished I could love him. I could coexist with him and give him at least a vision of the life he wanted with me. I hated the idea of breaking the heart of the one man who seemed to love me in a way I had once thought would never be possible.

Shortly after we announced our engagement to the rest of the school, everything changed. Logan took off and didn't even bother saying bye. I still had his dog tags. They are in my favorite pair of gloves in the top drawer of my dresser. They had been there ever since I learned to control my skin and Bobby and I got a little bit more serious. I did not know if his promise to come back for them was a one trip deal or carried on as long as I had them; I hoped it counted for as long as I had them.

In addition to Logan going AWOL, Bobby's mother had arrived in order to help us begin planning the wedding. It wasn't as much us planning as her taking over every detail. She picked out the pink and black bride's maids dresses which she put on "girls my own age". I liked Jubilee and Kitty, but I was closer to 'Ro and Jean. She picked out the white silk gloves to go with my dress and even hinted at getting my hair dyed one color for the wedding. Bobby never seemed to defend me; he just let it all happen. I guess it goes back to no one, including his wife or future wife, comparing to a man's momma.

When the subject of who would give me away was brought up, I still wasn't ready to face my parents. My best friend ran away and I had a feeling my parents would do the same when I told them I was marrying another mutant. I decided to ask Scott because he was like a big brother to me. The professor was going to be officiating. That man wore enough occupational hats to run his own country.

Today was the day. I stood in front of the mirror, fidgeting with my gloves. You would think after all the time I wore gloves that I would be used to them, but I'm not. The silk of these gloves fill nothing like me. The only thing which even reminds me of myself at the moment is the dress. Luckily, I had bought the dress before Mrs. Drake took charge. I love the way the black lace looks and feels. The pattern reminds me of my grandmother's lace doilies. The dress fit me perfect.

But a dress couldn't make up for the lack of luster in my eyes. Scott had tried to talk me through this. He tried to tell me to follow my heart. Maybe he knew more than I thought he did. He had said "Don't let someone else act as a replacement for the one you really want." I hadn't told him about the person who ran away with my heart. I sighed at the idea of perfectly imperfect this day seemed to be. I wanted to run, but it was more than my happiness which was at stake. And I had taken it too far to really deserve true happiness.

I turned around to leave the room and go find Scott. I figured this was like getting the shot, the sooner it began, the sooner it would be over. I was surprised to see Logan standing in my way.

"Logan, you came." I told him.

"Of course." He said, as if I somehow should have known he would be here. He hadn't even known what day I was getting married.

"Okay, what about?"

"Marie, please listen to me. Hear me out. I don't think you should marry the Drake kid." She opened her mouth to speak but I put a finger to her lips to silence her. "I don't think he will truly make you happy. He may be a great guy and all, but he isn't your kind of guy. You two are different and it won't work out. He'll want that all-American dream family and you won't. You're not the type to be tied down. You're the type to live your life and take things one day at a time and no other way. It's what made you leave home without a plan and end up 1,000 miles away from home. I don't think the soccer mom life is for you. But if you want white picket fences, a minivan, and the suburban life, then go ahead and marry him. But the girl, the woman I knew, that wasn't her. If something has changed and I'm completely wrong, then I'm sorry. But I'm pretty sure I'm not. I can see it in your eyes Marie, you're dying inside." Had Logan just said more than two sentences? Had Logan just been open with me? While I was shocked, I didn't see what right he had trying to tell me all this, especially today. While I agreed with him, I was determined to make someone else happy and I didn't need someone else telling me I wasn't going to be the happiest person in the world.

"You wait until my wedding day to tell me all this? You find out I'm engaged and you run and don't even call me. Then you show up an hour before I'm ta' get married and tell me 'don't do it'. You can't just tell me what I think and feel. You think I've not thought about it? You think I don't know my own feelings?"

"I couldn't just let you marry him without knowing this is what you wanted."

"He loves me. He loved me when I was untouchable Rogue and has stayed with me. He's the only man who ever loved me." I tried reminding myself of why I was doing this.

"No he's not." Who was he going to make up that loved me? Some strange man who had only seen me once, someone who wasn't familiar with me.

"Oh really? Then let me meet this man. Let him get to know me and we'll see how much he loves me then." I told him, all I wanted to do was cry.

"You've met him. He knows you. And he loves you." If what he had said was true, then why hadn't this person said something before now, unless their idea of romance was objecting to a marriage during the ceremony.

"Well it's too late for him to come around." I told him as I fought back the tears. I couldn't just let someone I didn't even know if I cared about ruin my wedding to someone I knew I did at least care about.

"No need to mess up your make up. I'm sorry." He told me as he tried his best to keep my tears from messing up my makeup. Logan must be desperate with all his apologizing today.

"It's okay. You just care about me." He told me before I heard Scott clear his throat.

"It's time for us to go." Scott told me

"Right." I headed toward the door. I hated just leaving and not even asking Logan to stay. "Logan, will you stay? I would really like to have my best friend here." I told him and I saw his eyes light up slightly. He must have realized I wasn't angry at him.

"Sure kid." He told me as I began to walk out the door.

"Go on. I'll be there in a second." Scott told me when I was a couple feet from the door. I met Jubilee and Kitty in the hall as we were all getting ready to take that big walk. I was also reminded as to why it was a bad idea to put St. John and Jubilee together when he began manipulating the firecrackers she was throwing. I had begun to give up on Scott ever coming back after three separate instances of the mansion nearly being set ablaze. The mansion burning would be a good reason to postpone a wedding, right? Before my plot of accidentally tripping and knocking into St. John mid pyro-trick became reality, Scott made it to my side.

"Are you ready?" Scott asked me and I nodded my head. Scott cued the DJ and the music began to play. St. John and Jubilee started the walk, then Kitty and Bobby's younger brother went, followed by the flower girl. Scott smiled and I took a deep breath, ready to face whatever was to come out there. Before I made my first step a strong familiar hand grabbing my arm stopped me.

"_I_ love you, Marie." Logan told me and I started to cry.

"I love you too, Logan." I managed to whisper.

"Well, I'm going to leave you too alone while I go make the announcement." Scott said as if he knew this was all part of the routine. I barely realized the music had stopped when Logan started speaking again.

"I'm sorry I'm so thick headed and didn't realize you didn't know. But everything I did, I did because of you. You made me stay in a mansion with a bunch of little kids, Scott, rules, and did I mention Scott." I couldn't help but laugh at how he held on to the idea of how bad Scott was.

"He really isn't that bad of a guy."

"Maybe not. If you still want to get married, if he will make you happier than I ever could, then go ahead. I'll give you two your space."

"I still want to get married." I told him.

"Oh." He said. I didn't mean to make him think I still wanted to marry Bobby.

"You dumb lug. I didn't say I wanted to get married to him." I tried to keep from laughing as he turned around completely confused.

"One day. I want to get married. But not to Bobby, to you whenever you are ready." I knew it would take Logan a little while to adjust to the idea of marriage, even if he did love me more than any man loved his wife.

"One step at a time, darlin'. About the hair…"

"It will wash out. Jubilee and Mrs. Drake decided to try it out."

"Good. I like the streaks."

"I know you do. Is it okay if we get out of here for a little while?" I told him. I wasn't exactly looking forward to Bobby and his mother storming back here wondering when I had lost my mind.

"But I just got back." He told me, but he couldn't hide the laughter or his want to get out of here.

"But Logan, if I'm going to leave a guy at the alter, I need to actually leave." I said.

"Alright darlin'." He told me as he kissed my forehead. I still had some things to return before we left. I walked to the dressing mirror and took off the engagement ring Bobby had given me and the gloves his mother had bought and placed them on the stool. This would be obvious to him and maybe it would make him realize I was ending not just the wedding, but our engagement. If not, I'm sure the all-knowing-Scott could explain.

"Aren't you going to tell him?" He asked me.

"I think he knows. And what he doesn't, Scott will explain to him." I told him before taking his hand.

"What about the dress?"

"I like the dress. I think I'll keep it. I paid for it and it is named after me, Anne Marie." This is what had made me take a second look at the Maggie Sottero dress in the first place. But after the second look, I couldn't imagine wearing another wedding dress.

We made our way back to my room so I could change. I didn't want to leave the room here where someone would look, but I couldn't take it with us. I figured Logan's room would be safe enough. No one would dare venture in the room, even when Logan was gone. I washed out the awful coloring which hid the streaks I loved. After we had packed up and stored the dress away in his closet, we left to let things cool down.

We headed to Mississippi to repair my relationship with my parents. They weren't the happiest about Logan at first, but once I told them how he had saved my physical life three times and once from a marriage I wouldn't have been happy in, they eased up. We left with promises to call and write, which we did. After two months on the road, Scott called us and asked us to come back. When we got back we spent the next year and a half learning more about each other between missions. Bobby had forgiven me, and so had his mother when Kitty was introduced as Bobby's new girlfriend. Scott and Logan had even started to get along.

Everything was going fine until one day I was injured during a recon mission. Logan made me use my powers to borrow his healing factor. I had only broke a leg, but he didn't seem to understand I could heal from a broken leg in less than six months considering how minor a break it was. When he woke up a couple hours later from my touch he asked me to marry him and never scare him like that again. I told him I would marry him, but I couldn't guarantee there would be no more scares.

The planning for this wedding was rather simple. I asked Jean Summers to be my maid of honor and pick out a black dress she liked. Scott got bumped by my father from the giver of the bride to the best man. Less than 6 months after Logan's non-traditional proposal we were married in a semi-traditional ceremony. Dog tags were no longer the only thing which held our promises to one another.


End file.
